When music producer Earl Messam suggested Doniki cover ‘The Last Thing on My Mind’, the singer was not interested. He said it went against his creative principles.
The roots artist relented and eventually put a reggae spin to the track with fellow vocalist Rosie B. Their version was released in 2025 as part of ‘Champions In Action’, a compilation album from Wildfire Records.
Messam is founder and principal of that Philadelphia-based company which recorded many songs by Doniki, who died in his native Jamaica in 2016.
“Doniki never wanted to do the song, because he said he is a culture singer. But him end up doing it an’ it came out good,” said Messam.
‘The Last Thing on My Mind’ is written by American singer Tom Paxton who first recorded it in 1964. It has been covered by many artists including Dolly Parton, who cut a country version three years later with Porter Wagoner.
Parton, who died on August 25, also did a solo version in 2023.
Messam and Doniki were associated personally and professionally since the early 1980s when they first met at Tuff Gong recording studios in Kingston, Jamaica. They went on to record a flurry of songs, many of them released by Wildfire Records.
‘Champions In Action’ contains 23 songs by artists such as Ken Boothe, Pat Kelly, Ian Sweetness and Glen Ricks.
WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL